Merry Christmas, my friends! Today is my first week of my CreNativity series! Get it? Creativity, Nativity? I came up with it on my own, too! Oh, and I have no idea why the pictures come out blurry, but if you need to see the detail in a clearer picture, go to my Facebook page.
Anyway, this week's blogpost is a Wire Christmas tree decoration, but I also added a few special items. Before you start, you'll need wire. I just bought craft wire used for jewelry and stuff, but it was a real difficulty for this project because it wasn't strong enough. Anyway, I got it in green and it was 8 feet and there was plenty, so no need to get more. You can use that same wire, but if craft projects are more difficult and stressful for you, or you need to do it quicker, than just buy copper wire, that you would find at a hardware store. Even though it's not green, it will be just fine! You will also need wire cutters (you can good ones for a dollar at the Dollar Tree), a star or snowflake charm from the jewelry department of your craft store, sparkly green tulle, a foam cone similar to this one from the floral area in your craft store, and battery powered LED Christmas lights. I found mine in the dollar section at Target and I really like them because they are wire, a good size for this project, and the lights are small. If you get ones with bulbs, they will be really big, compared to the tree. Oh, and you'll need batteries to power your battery powered lights. Mine needed 2 double A batteries, but check with whatever lights you have before.
Ok. Now for the tutorial. If you have strong, copper like wire, you should skip this step, but if you have the same wire I got, follow along. Take out your wire and fold it into three different parts and cut them with your wire cutters. Now twist all three pieces together to make one thicker piece of wire.
Here's where you join back in if you had the copper wire. Take your styrofoam cone and wrap the wire in a complete circle at the base of the cone (the bigger end) and twist it to the beginning of the wire to make it be able to stand on its own. Now take the rest of the wire and begin wrapping it up the cone. Try to make the space between each rotation small so that it doesn't lean over to one side. Once you've wrapped it all the way to the top, twist the end into a small loop and twist it to secure the circle.
Next, we will add the lights! You can twist the strand of lights in with your wire since it is also wire but I think it looks like there's more lights if you do it a different way. First, make sure you put in batteries. Now cut a small piece of green tulle and wrap your battery pack in it, and use a small piece of tape. Don't close up the sides though, so that you can still easily turn it on and off. Take your strand of lights and put the battery pack in the center of the wire tree, in the circle at the base.
Here's where it gets a little tricky. Take the lights that come directly from the battery pack and pull them all the way to the top of the tree, and through the loop we made. Then take the end and go down
the other side. Now, wrap the lights once around a part of the base to keep it held together while you wrap it around up and down the other sides. If necessary, use a small dab of hot glue to keep it in place. Do not glue the bulb, but glue the wire part of the strand of lights to the wire tree. Repeat wrapping the lights until you run out of lights. When there is not much lights left, make your last line going UP THE TREE! If there isn't enough to go back up, then undo one more to make sure it finishes up. Wrap the end around the loop at the top to keep it in place. Now string the star charm onto the end of the lights and twist the wire lights into a little loop around the charm to keep it on. I pointed mine up so that it doesn't blend into the tree. Now if you have any left, bend the rest down the tree and since its wire lights, it should stay put easily. Lastly, just take some tulle, wrap it around the tree, and use small tape at the bottom and top to keep it in place, but tulle sticks to itself pretty well. I only used a light layer of tulle, so you can still see the wire tree and the lights.
That is all! I am so excited for this year's holiday crafts!!!! If you recreate any of my Christmas crafts, send me a picture via Instagram or Facebook, or use the hashtag #CreNativity!
the other side. Now, wrap the lights once around a part of the base to keep it held together while you wrap it around up and down the other sides. If necessary, use a small dab of hot glue to keep it in place. Do not glue the bulb, but glue the wire part of the strand of lights to the wire tree. Repeat wrapping the lights until you run out of lights. When there is not much lights left, make your last line going UP THE TREE! If there isn't enough to go back up, then undo one more to make sure it finishes up. Wrap the end around the loop at the top to keep it in place. Now string the star charm onto the end of the lights and twist the wire lights into a little loop around the charm to keep it on. I pointed mine up so that it doesn't blend into the tree. Now if you have any left, bend the rest down the tree and since its wire lights, it should stay put easily. Lastly, just take some tulle, wrap it around the tree, and use small tape at the bottom and top to keep it in place, but tulle sticks to itself pretty well. I only used a light layer of tulle, so you can still see the wire tree and the lights.
That is all! I am so excited for this year's holiday crafts!!!! If you recreate any of my Christmas crafts, send me a picture via Instagram or Facebook, or use the hashtag #CreNativity!
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